Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Top Ten Tuesday - My Best Reads of 2017 to date and a Giveaway!

This week's topic is our favorite reads of 2017. I'm interpreting it as from what I've read this year, not what has been been published this year, so these have various dates.

I have read and listened to some powerful books so far this year, but my top choice, the story I was the most drawn into, was The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. I want to share this important story with you, so I'm holding a giveaway. All you have to do to enter is provide me with a valid e-mail address to contact you at should you win. The Winner will get to choose the format between a US Kindle copy or a physical copy from The Book Depository. This giveaway is open from 6/27-7/11.

Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.

Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil's name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.

But what Starr does or does not say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life.

12 comments:

I was surprised to actually enjoy On Writing as I don't usually read that kind of thing. There was a lot of useful info and a few interesting stories. I couldn't get into the Handmaid's tale at all when I tried it but it's not really one of my genres so not greatly surprised!

I really enjoy listening to people reading their own books, providing they are good at it, which not all of them are. Stephen has been around the block and spoken enough that he's pretty good at it, so it was fun to hear his history, and his views on how to write, and it pretty much came down to just do it! No excuses, sit in the chair and do it! lol!

I didn't *like* The Handmaid's Tale, though I understand why it's back in popularity in the current environment. I had not ever read it before, or anything of Atwood's actually, so I decided to go ahead and give it a try. So now at least I know what the hype is about, and why people are appearing dressed as the Handmaidens in certain places. But like Fahrenheit 451, I understand the message, but I didn't enjoy the reading.

It really was, I think it would be a great book for high schoolers to tackle, and then discuss, it really takes the ideas from a news story that happens to someone else, into a character we come to know and can relate to.

I listened to Illuminae before I knew what the format of the book was, so I'm going to read Gemina instead. I'm guessing the graphical nature of the pages added to the atmosphere of the story!

It definitely was moving, I hope it's as strong for you as it was for me, in a good way. I think it definitely helps make the subject matter accessible in a way that's been lacking for those of us that can't relate in our own life experiences.

Great choices! Some of them are on my TBR, so hopefully I'll enjoy them too - when I get to read them, of course :) Now, I don't think I've read/watch a negative review about THUG. And that intrigues me. But mostly, because of the topics this powerful book deals with. So, thank you so much for the opportunity to win it and have the chance to read it. Hope I'm the lucky winner, because I'm dying to read about Starr ^^

I'm the same, I haven't heard anything bad, only raves. It's not often that an author gets it just right, but I think Angie Thomas did, and I hope it helps pave the way to some needed understanding! Good luck!